A former satanist recounts her return to the Church and provides some timely advice about dealing with Halloween.

TRENT BEATTIE

Deborah Lipsky went through tremendous suffering as a child. Her high-functioning autism elicited the frustration of teachers, along with the ridicule and abuse of classmates, leaving her hurt and isolated — and eventually enraged.

She sought revenge through witchcraft and then full-blown satanism. Her goal was to destroy the Catholic Church, which she saw as responsible for her pain. Yet she found that getting even would exact a price. Despite initial thrills of power, Lipsky became increasingly miserable.

Years after narrowly escaping her demonic entanglement, Lipsky came back into full communion with the Church in 2009. Now, she helps others to see beyond the glamour of the occult to the beauty of Catholicism. She does this, in part, through her new book, A Message of Hope, and through a new CD interview, Former Satanist Comes Home to the Catholic Church, both available from St. Joseph Communications.

Deborah Lipsky told her amazing story to Register correspondent Trent Beattie in time for All Hallows' Eve.

Is it true that Halloween is a prime day for satanists?
Yes, it is a “high holy day,” so to speak, because it’s a mockery of All Saints' Day on Nov. 1. Anything the Catholic Church celebrated we would mock, and this is one outstanding example of that. Instead of asking for the intercession of the saints, we would call upon demons and the damned to grant us all our earthly desires and harass those who had offended us in any way.

Do you think it’s okay for Christians to participate in Halloween activities?
Some people think as long as your children dress up as baseball players and angels it’s perfectly fine for them to go out trick-or-treating. I disagree because Halloween is predicated upon mocking God and his saints. Even if you have an innocent outfit on, almost everything else around you is not innocent. You’re exposed to so much negativity and even downright demonic activity that it’s just not worth the little reward you get in candy.

A much better thing to do is to ignore Halloween altogether and concentrate on All Saints' Day instead. Engage in Christian activities. Pray the Rosary as a family; read the lives of the saints; have your house blessed or enthroned to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. These are just a few of the countless ways to teach your children about the Christian faith in word and deed.

If more Christians would actually live as Christians, Halloween wouldn’t even be a blip on the radar screen. We would be so happily immersed in God’s grace that it wouldn’t so much as enter our minds to pursue deviant things. Yet we’ve abandoned the faith in so many ways. That leaves a vacuum — a vacuum that will be filled by something else.

Is that how you got started in the occult?
In a general way, it was. I attended Catholic school from seventh to 10th grade, but there was very little reverence for the faith by my peers. It was more of a surface, cultural thing — kind of a feel-good show. It wasn’t something you thought of as being held accountable for on Judgment Day. This made it easier for my classmates to regularly mistreat me because of my high-functioning autism.

In high school, I was even physically abused. This was disturbing, but what happened later was even more so. When I actually got enough courage to tell one of the teachers (who was a nun), she said it was my fault. This was so devastating that it took my anger beyond its previous levels. I had been severely hurt, and someone in authority who was supposed to help, made things worse.

I had been through enough, and I desperately needed relief. There wasn’t any to be found, even at home, because my parents were going through a divorce. Everywhere I turned, there was trouble. It was a tumultuous time — a time of great injustice, pain and confusion.

I got started in witchcraft as a way to get even with those who had harmed me. I felt powerful for the first time, and it was addicting. The teachers and classmates who used to despise me now feared me. The witchcraft grew into full-blown satanism, with my main target being the Catholic Church. I blamed the Church for what happened to me, and I did everything I could to destroy it.

This was your main goal and that of those you associated with?
In Matthew 16, Jesus Christ gives the keys to Peter and tells him that the gates of hell will not prevail against his Church. Our Lord knew hell would engage in a battle with his Church, so he gave authority to Peter and his successors in the papacy to win the battle.

Satanists are either so blinded by their anger that they cannot see this, or they do see it, but still attempt to do as much damage as possible.

How did you get out of such a negative mindset?
Despite the momentary power I felt at getting even and receiving all my worldly desires, over time I began to be tormented by the very demons I had sent to torment others. I didn’t know it at the time, but I’ve since learned of this universal law: Any demon you summon to harm others can and will harm you.

I started longing to get past my anger to happiness, so I left satanism. This is not an easy thing to do, once you’ve made a formal pact with the devil, like I did. After initial trouble, things got somewhat better, but I was still not in a state of mind to return to the Catholic Church. Instead, I joined a religious cult that denounced Mary. Once I started wanting to come home to the Church, however, more demonic torments recurred. The demons knew it was in the Catholic Church that they found their nemesis. As long as I stayed outside the Church, they were okay with that. But once I made a move home, the harassment came back.

It was a difficult journey, but it was definitely worth the effort. I was eventually freed from demonic forces through the intercession of Mary and by the support and guidance of two Catholic priests. My official return to the Church was in 2009. I had previously (and quite unexpectedly earlier that year) met a nun. We became friends, and that made it easier for me to come home to the Church.

Yet it wasn’t until 2011 that I became deeply devoted to Mary, who is Our Lady, Queen of Heaven. She had brought me home through others, but, in 2011, she made it known in a miraculous way that she was my spiritual Mother.

Our Lady had worked similar wonders with Bartolo Longo. She rescued him from his satanic past and brought him to Jesus. Bartolo dedicated himself to Jesus through Mary, which enabled him to do the great apostolic work he did, including promotion of the Rosary. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980, and now we can confidently call upon his prayers in the battle against the occult.

What other things should Christians do in this battle?
The most basic thing to do is get into a state of grace. If you’re not in a state of grace, go to confession. Receive the forgiveness Jesus wants so much to grant you. Forgiveness is his mission, and yet we prevent him from operating when we refuse to go to confession.

The thing some people fear the most (confession) is what will help them the most. It’s a great gift, yet we don’t use it as much as we should. Confession should be a regular part of one’s spiritual life.

We should also go to Mass as much as possible. Receiving the holy Eucharist in a state of grace is the best possible thing we could do. We are then more firmly united to Jesus, and virtuous actions become easier for us. We are strengthened in an incomparable way when we receive the holy Eucharist reverently. This is because the holy Eucharist is not merely a gift, but the Giver of gifts, Jesus Christ.

Our participation in the sacraments is aided tremendously by the use of sacramentals. We should use holy water, blessed salt, crucifixes, medals, scapulars, rosaries and holy pictures. These are powerful weapons in the spiritual battle, so we should gratefully make use of them.

What things should Christians avoid?
Many things we should avoid are portrayed as fun and fashionable. Fortune-telling, horoscopes, Ouija boards, Dungeons & Dragons, tarot cards ... are some of the things Christians should have no association with. These are tools of evil because they open portals to higher-level demons that are more eager and effective in derailing us from salvation.

People who are harassed by demons in extraordinary ways have called me to help them out. Usually when I inquire how the demons got there, they have no idea. I ask if they’ve participated in any occult activities, and the answer is usually, "No." Yet when they search deeply enough, it is inevitably revealed that at some time in their past they have gone to a fortune-teller, played with a Ouija board or engaged in some other occult activity.

Another thing we should all avoid is a sense of entitlement. Anger comes through being hurt, and being hurt comes from having our sense of entitlement violated.

Anger can be a very destructive thing because it attracts demons like blood attracts sharks in water.

Are there any other things we should know about living a Christian life?
One of the most important things I’ve learned to appreciate is God’s all-encompassing providence. Everything that happens to us, without exception, is within the providence of God, who does not make mistakes. Everything that happens to us is an opportunity to learn from, and draw closer to, God, who is our loving Father.

Things which were previously means of our destruction can become the very things we use to serve others and be more firmly united to God. My autism was the occasion of so much pain and confusion in childhood. I was considered too stupid to learn, but now, with a master’s degree in education behind me, I help others understand autism through books and speaking engagements.

Similarly, the nun in high school who blamed me was the final straw that drove me away from the Church, but it was also a nun who helped bring me back into the Church. Even our own sins, if we repent of them, can become occasions of grace. This is what happened with Mary. I used to denounce her, but now I venerate her and tell others of her powerful love for them.

Sin repented of can humble us and make us more compassionate toward others. So while we should avoid sin from here on out, there is no reason at all to despair over what we’ve already done in the past. We must prayerfully trust in the mercy of God, which is open to anyone who seeks it in his Church.

I have a lot of respect for the writer, but why has the writer left out the imoralities taught to youth in all U S bishops’ schools that is destroying the Catholic Faith. See the graphic horrors of what people in the pews are paying for with their donations each Sunday. If adults are repulsed, and you will be, can one even begin to imagine the damage to innocent young minds?

But for their sake and for the salvation of souls, righteous indignation is most appropriate. Take the time to discover that parochial schools are raising barbarians. Please forgive the grossness of details taken from this site of the series Growing In Love, but keep in mind that the G I L series has an imprimatur:http://www.motherswatch.net/content/view/12/6/
“…Growing in Love’s sex abuse begins hitting hard in kindergarten. GIL is calculated to deceive with its superficial God talk. Religion is reduced to sexuality, feelings, trusting others and making choices. GIL’s repetitive emphasis on genitalia, feel good sexual acts, and explicit detail of such acts could only have been developed by homosexual/lesbian pedophiles who care nothing about the purity of children or the sanctity of the Church.
GIL, as all sex/chastity programs, does not challenge the intellect of the student, but plays upon the child’s emotions. Values clarification provides the format where the ideology of sex and sexual attitudes are expanded into an entire 13-year curriculum. It is the method and presentation of the material that is as responsible for fostering a new way of thinking and acting as much as the material itself. …..
.. The desensitization begins with lesson one in kindergarten. The children are being psychologically undressed in the classroom and exposed to explicit pornographic materials. The bishop-blessed Growing in Love has little children exploring the sexual body parts (penis, vagina, etc.), as well as the anus and buttocks. Instead of activities for “reading readiness,” Growing in Love supplies “sodomy readiness” lessons by adding the anus and buttocks to the sexual anatomy,………”

Posted by Johnette on Sunday, Nov, 11, 2012 4:29 PM (EST):

I have gone trick-or-treating all my life. It has always been a family event. If there is one thing I have learned from my family, it is that we must search for the Truth and not just go with the flow. All Hallows Eve has Catholic roots, but we cannot overlook the pagan celebrations of Hallowe’en. As of right now, (maybe I’m wrong) I don’t think we need to totally boycot Hallowe’en altogether. It used to be a Catholic feast day. Let’s reclaim it as Catholic! Maybe encourage your children or friends to go trick-or-treating dressed up as a saint. Hay! and when people ask who your dressed up as, give them a brief explaination of the true Catholic perspective of All Hallows Evening! Instead of giving your children the regular hallowe’en colouring pages, ever thought of maybe getting your children to colour pictures of Saint Michael and St. George, for example, and putting those up on your windows. What will your neighbours think? Oh, well they might think of you as a religious fanatic, or, just maybe, with God’s grace, they will see how beautiful the Catholic religion is compared to the dark, demonic, “scary” celebration they are used to on October 31. God bless and may He give us the grace to “fight the good fight.”

Posted by Joe on Monday, Nov, 5, 2012 2:56 PM (EST):

ANNE – the devil has triumphed in the changes:

The existence of Hell and the existence of the devil is denied and evident in the changes. The Rite of Exorcism employed by the Catholic Church for centuries is cancelled and new ineffective prayers have been written.
1. The prayer of exorcism and the anointing with oil of catechumens are omitted in Baptism – page 426*
2. Exorcisms during baptism was eliminated January 6, 1972 page 516*
3. The Minor Order of Exorcist was abolished August 15, 1972 “ “*
4. The Rite of Exorcism rewritten and virtually eliminated
June 4, 1990 “ “*

*”Tumultuous Times” by Fr. Francisco Radecki and Fr. Dominic Radecki

Posted by Joe on Saturday, Nov, 3, 2012 8:43 PM (EST):

According to statistics, only 10% of the teachers in the U S Bishops’ school believe what Holy Mother the Church teaches in regards to birth controlling. See the following by Archbishop Hayes December 14, 1921:
“…….To take life after its inception is a horrible crime; but to prevent human life that the Creator is about to bring into being, is satanic….”
There is an increase of satanic practices going on! Claimed Catholic, married couples are told to form their own conscience in regards to the sinful act of birth controlling and claimed Catholic singles are engaged in premarital sex and obviously using the services of Planned Parenthood.

Posted by ANNE on Saturday, Nov, 3, 2012 7:49 AM (EST):

CCC: ” 1673 When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism.
Jesus performed exorcisms and from him the Church has received the power and office of exorcizing.
In a simple form, exorcism is performed at the celebration of Baptism.
The solemn exorcism, called “a major exorcism,” can be performed only by a priest and with the permission of the bishop. The priest must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his
Church.
Illness, especially psychological illness, is a very different matter; treating this is the concern of medical science. Therefore, before an exorcism is performed, it is important to ascertain that one is dealing with the presence of the Evil One, and not an illness. “

More info on exorcism can be found on the Vatican and USCCB web sites.

Posted by Sister Francanne on Friday, Nov, 2, 2012 1:24 PM (EST):

I have followed these posts from the beginning. I noticed that the number of likes as now reached 265. The author shared from her truthful experiences. I was appalled at the number of negative posts that this Catholic newspaper chose to print. If there are that many people who liked the article, where are the posts to support this number? It appears that our society is addicted to pain, causing other people pain by their caustic remarks in order to generate more controversy.

Posted by meme on Thursday, Nov, 1, 2012 12:54 PM (EST):

I can understand growing up in a catholic school is not easy. Some nuns act like a satan´s child and those places look like nazi camps. I went to a school with nuns and i can say they don´t understand children with phicological problems at all. Nuns and priests haven´t got an easy life, thanks God being a nun never was my deal, I prefer to be married and be a wife and mun but I always pray for them. They need it especially in this time of confussion. If Deborah was educated with love and not so rude rules, with terapeutic assistance, i think she would never be in those troubles she said

Posted by cheeriosinpocket on Thursday, Nov, 1, 2012 12:14 PM (EST):

I disagree that it is fun and meaningless. Over 40 years ago, Mom and Dad had to check the apples because some fun person was inserting razor blades and handing them out—this was in suburbia. And, at that time, apples were quite commonly distributed. Personally, I see it has everyone looking at Halloween and not at what Catholics are called to—Saints and the following day, Souls. It is like nearly 8 weeks of Christmas lights, holiday music and celebrations before Christmas. I cannot imagine why we celebrate for weeks someone’s birth, before the birthdate. Skipping the “preparing our hearts and making room in our inn” during Advent for our celebration of the Incarnation…and the most atrocious one is weeks and weeks of bunnies and aisles and aisle two-stories high of CANDY, instead of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Savior of the world. It is a secular diversion to take our thoughts off of our Creator, our Savior, our end goal (heaven).

Posted by Danny on Thursday, Nov, 1, 2012 5:23 AM (EST):

Katie,

It is not about Catholism or anti-Catholism , but about discerning how the evil one lies and fools people the way he is doing now. Jn 10:10 “The thief comes to steal ,kill and destroy.I have come so that you may have life, life in abundance.”

Posted by Daniel on Thursday, Nov, 1, 2012 1:08 AM (EST):

I agree with much of what Ms. Lipsky states. However, the comment by Joseph Brown is true as well. Mr. Brown nails with his comments on those true Satanists of the world.

Posted by Brad Morrison on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 5:37 PM (EST):

If you talk to 1,000 people about what Halloween means to them, I’ll bet money that zero people will say “it represents my chance to mock god and the church”. Maybe 150 years ago, not today. Halloween is a secular celebration that is fun and meaningless. That’s it, nothing more to it, nothing to take offense with. More important things in the world need our attention.

Posted by poetcomic1 on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 5:29 PM (EST):

Deliverance Minister in the Catholic Church? And I am Mother Theresa. I love the way you solemnly throw around your ridiculous charismatic titles. It is part of the TRULY demonic corruption of the church with women pushing themselves into delusional roles of ‘pseudo-priestly authority’. I don’t even want to know all the manure that is going on in the name of Holy Mother Church it makes me nauseous.

Posted by momo44 on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 5:16 PM (EST):

For those of us who have had experiences with the occult in the past, we are familiar with a certain degree of demonic “involvement” that is separate of us and our will. Granted emotional and mental instability are doorways for “activity”, but we shouldn’t be so laissez-faire either in regards to how much they interferes with human lives. It does happen. The ricochet effect does exist. Is there a point where some people go overboard in regards to throwing the baby out with the bath water?? Personally, I’d be reluctant to answer that. I’d rather go with an experienced exorcist with YEARS of dealing with the topic under their belt. Most of those guys will tell you unequivocally that much of what seems “innocent” ... paves the way for something that is not. Evil is not subjective, it’s OBJECTIVE as well as a PERSON with real intent. (see Thomas Aquinas if you’re doubting me on this! He devotes quite a bit to this examination.)

For most people Halloween is a simple, unobtrusive holiday event. You get dressed up, take your kids to grab some candy, then come home and divy up the spoils. No big deal, right? However, God doesn’t necessarily want us to live unintentional lives. Sure He wants us to have fun! Why wouldn’t he? However, to have fun on the back of a formerly practical catholic holiday, which for all intensive purposes has completely LOST it’s purpose… as well as has been appropriated back to the old Wiccan samhain holiday, which IS October 31st, should AT LEAST, make us think about it. I’m sure most people have no idea what Samhain is… or care. But again, is it a good idea to completely ignore facts?

Demons do exist. There are levels of demons. It’s not just the protestants who teach that… in fact, the Catholic Church has plenty of material that explains how that works. Again, see St. Thomas Aquinas, as well as other theologians. It’s an entire field of study. The question is… are you willing to look it up? Fr. Amorth isn’t pulling information out of his rear… he’ll pulling it from history, the church, experience… experience ... and experience.

@JosephBrown- you’re correct that often the devil will come in an extremely attractive form. He won’t look like how we think he’ll look most of the time. Including, dressing himself up as a sweet, innocent form of fun that involves a little bit of candy and lots of laughter.

Posted by Scott W on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 3:54 PM (EST):

I also think that this article was over-the-top and sensationalistic. First of all, Ms. Lipsky is an active Maine “Ghost Hunter” (just google her name), and her membership is strange given her thoughts on Halloween, D&D, etc. She claims the devil gave her “all her worldly desires”, but demons are liars and promise what they can’t give. The article reads like all her sins can be explained by how badly others treated her—if only that nun had been understanding she wouldn’t have become a satanist! But she alone owns her sins and there is an undercurrent of blame in the story. God’s mercy flows from His knowledge of our troubles, but there is ownership needed here (after all, we have all been bullied…).

There is plenty of great advice in the article, but there is a shadow of self-aggrandizement and attention-seeking (again google her name…). It is also troubling that she doesn’t have serenity and peace regarding her painful past. Before she hit the lecture circuit, she should have found healing and peace.

Posted by Deborah on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 3:39 PM (EST):

As a deliverance minister in the Catholic Church, I attest that this woman knows what she is talking about. I have personal and experiential knowledge on the matter and I find her witness to be sincere and truthful. I minister to those who are tormented by demons due to their own sin or often times due to the sins of the parents (generational). God bless us one and all.

Posted by TG on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 12:57 PM (EST):

Great article. She’s right about Confession. It keeps me in line and receiving the Eucharist gives me so much strength in dealing with anger issues. If people only knew the strength and grace that comes from the sacraments of Penance (often) and the Eucharist (in the state of grace).

Posted by Monika on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 11:39 AM (EST):

The Catholic Church is clear on the subject of Halloween. Halloween promotes the occult and paganism, and must be avoided.

Posted by Joseph Brown on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 11:15 AM (EST):

I agree with Katie. This article is a copy+paste of urban legend, Gabriel Amorth’s theory of demonic invitation, and protestant propaganda coming out of the 70’s and 80’s. I am calling shannanighans.

In High School, I also was a practicing Satanist, and can tell you that 99% of Satanist are actually a combo of atheism, epicureans, and Ayn Rand’s Objectivism. They are usually 100% hurt, immature, socially awkward, lacking in power, and probably sexually confused. There is also the “look”: black clothing, pale skin, etc.; These are kids looking for an identity, not a world-wide conspiracy baby sacrificing, Hosts stomping, nun punching, hooligan of Hell. REAL Satanist operate in air-conditioned boardrooms,luxury hotel suites and hidden villas. They wear suits and ties, Chanel tweeds, and you would never ever see a wisp of black lipstick or Anton LaVey.
Our Lady literally came drew me out of that life, and I have been clean, sober and Catholic for the last 25 years. I absolutely believe in the reality of the devil, evil, the occult, demons. I KNOW they exist. But when the devil knocks on your door, he is not going to be wearing red jammies with horns and a tail and saying trick-or-treat; he will be wearing Armani and whispering soothing words that “we are not responsible; if there is a God then surely he would want us to enjoy life,and all beliefs are equal.”

Posted by Joanp62 on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 10:55 AM (EST):

How is the author or the interviewee condemning people? If anything, they bring hope to those who may be condemning themselves.

Posted by Jordan on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 10:49 AM (EST):

@Katie - Totally agree.

I understand this woman’s sensitivity to Halloween, but I think this extreme aversion to celebrating Halloween, Christmas (other than by going to Mass), etc. is heavily borrowed from anti-Catholic Protestants like Katie mentioned. We should give that back.

Also, I Dungeons & Dragons does not belong in the same group as ouijia boards and tarot cards. It’s more like pretending to be characters from something like LOTR (Gandalf used magic, ya know) to do good for others in a game. Might sound like a small thing, but I think the tendency of people who are hypersensitve to the negative influences in the world (they are out there, I acknowledge) to just lump everything into one bag and throw the baby out with the bathwater just in case (and because they have never bothered to actually look closely at certain things that are actually harmless) is what turns off others who may be more on the fence to exploring our faith more.

Posted by Rick on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 10:18 AM (EST):

This Lipsky is a troubled individual. She was more troubled in the past, but still is not a stable person. There are no such things as “higher demons”. Halloween is about candy and fun - end of story. If the worst thing your teenager is doing is playing Dungeons and Dragons drop to your knees and thank the Lord.

Troubled people will see evil anywhere. Charles Manson saw it in the songs of the Beatles. That doesnt mean it was really there.

Posted by May Fiat on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 10:18 AM (EST):

Hi Katie,

I dont read this interview as condeming people, I read this as a view from someone who at one time, worshiped Satan. My family and I are struggling with this decision, to participate or not in the Halloween activities.

At one point, we didnt participate because its roots, although parially christian (All Hallows Eve) became very distorted by society and there was a sense of greed in our children to have more, more, more candy.

I think its a good article to cause us to think about our lives and how we touch others. We are considering the “how” we celebrate and the article is for those of us that think about such things.

Posted by Paul on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 10:05 AM (EST):

I respect your intention to secure the facts Katie, but you missed the whole point of this article.

In the parable we call “The Prodigal’s Son”, were there many pig farms in the area to make the story believable or was that entirely beside the point: that this Jew fell low enough that he would work with pigs?

Satan has his hooks out there in some of the folks on Halloween - do you want them clawing your kid? If your kid was scared by someone last year, what’s that telling you about some of the folks that are taking this day differently? Seek Christ with your kid, not culture. Jesus is the God of second opinions, second chances.

Posted by Shawna on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 10:02 AM (EST):

This author also has been making the rounds of several sites, all with a great deal of scary stories about how you should be on guard for the least little thing and how it will let Satan in. Interestingly, her story is near identical to several Protestant “ex-Satanists” who have been exposed as frauds, usually when someone does some actual fact-checking instead of just asking leading questions like this article did. Just because someone says they’re an expert doesn’t mean they actually ARE one.

Posted by Claude on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 9:53 AM (EST):

There is no condemnation written in this article. Yes, Hallow’s Eve had a Catholic root, but as we have it today it is not there anymore. Look around you and see how children and now adults are dressing up. I am appalled by some of the costumes, and the mockery on display. It has not sat well with me for some time, and maybe Protestants got this one right. Lastly the fact is that Halloween as we see it celebrated today has absolutely nothing Catholic about it.

Posted by Barb on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 9:39 AM (EST):

Great article Trent. Special thanks to Deborah Lipsky for sharing her experiences. Her simple statement of facts and opinions based on her personal experiences are enlightening. I find no condemnation of anyone in the article…just some great personal insights that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Thanks again!

Posted by Mel on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 9:15 AM (EST):

I think even the most cursory glance at Halloween would leave no doubt that it is in no way Catholic/Christian. It may have it’s roots in Catholic countries but it is distinctly pagan. Like many Church traditions it or a form of it precedes the Church’s arrival and was circumvented to ease the native populations into the Church and away from their pagan traditions.

Posted by cheeriosinpocket on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 9:09 AM (EST):

to Katie
I’ve heard the “strong Catholic roots” argument before…unfortunately, it doesn’t take into account the perversion that it now is and to defend its roots and perpetuate this enormous waste of time and money blurs the beauty of the real Holy day—All Saints Day.
Thanks Trent for the wonderful article of a VICTORY IN CHRIST! May our Savior and Blessed Mother continue to transform Deborah’s soul and life (and all of ours); you are a wonderful witness of our Faith! God bless you!

Posted by c matt on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 9:04 AM (EST):

I thought Halloween is the shortening of “All Hallows Eve” - basically “All Saints Day Eve.” Although Lipsky does have an undeniable point that Halloween has been pretty much hijacked by our decrepit secular culture.

Posted by Tom Dewey on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 8:29 AM (EST):

Great article. It is a message that needs to get out to everyone but especially to our fellow Catholics. I have seen
first hand the harm that such worship can bring about. It is better to never cross that line in the first place rather than to play around with satan related activities. Just because something has strong Catholic roots, it sure does not make it right as we well know that there are many imperfect people on the face of this earth and the church has always had its share of them.

Posted by Jeannine on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 8:19 AM (EST):

Katie,

I agree that Halloween had Catholic roots. Yet,it has now evolved into something that is truly horrible. Costumes are being used to express political & perverted desires & to mock the Catholic Church. For example, take a look at the Halloween parade in Greenwich Village, NYC. It’s an absolute travesty.

Debra Lipsky’s views are very credible to me (For that matter any ex-satanist’views who converted to Catholicism is credible to me; they’ve been there, done that.) even if her knowledge of the historical roots of Halloween is partially incorrect.

Posted by poetcomic1 on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 8:14 AM (EST):

Catholic fundamentalist and an ex-Satanist on her own say-so, don’t trust this source. NO sense of humor, none of the Catholic warmth, fullness of vision and youthfulness in Christ that is the hallmark of God’s people. She sounds like a Chick pamphlet. One should mock the devil - it is the one thing his pride can’t endure!

Posted by Kathleen on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 8:10 AM (EST):

Katie,
Halloween, as celebrated in America,reflects pre-Christian celebrations in Ireland, not the eve of All Saints Day.If we wish to reclaim it as a Christian holy day, dressing up as witches, vampires, etc gives the wrong message.
You can give the devil more than his due, but ignoring the occult’s not a wise choice, either.

Posted by Katie on Wednesday, Oct, 31, 2012 7:53 AM (EST):

Halloween has strong Catholic roots. Anti-Catholic Protestants are the ones who first started claiming All Hallow’s Eve was satanic and pagan. Just because this author and her friends bought into that lie, doesn’t make it true. I’d suggest researching the Catholic history of Halloween before condemning people.

Join the Discussion

We encourage a lively and honest discussion of our content. We ask that charity guide your words.
By submitting this form, you are agreeing to our discussion guidelines.
Comments are published at our discretion. We won't publish comments that lack charity, are off topic, or are more than 400 words.
Thank you for keeping this forum thoughtful and respectful.